Of course Snapcat is a thing, because of all the reasons

They say that if you’ve thought about something, chances are, it probably already exists on the Internet. And now whoever had the brilliant 4 a.m. idea to make a Snapchat for cats is probably cursing themselves, because Snapcat is so very real.

That’s right. It’s an app for cats to take selfies. And if you’re thinking, “my cat is stupid and does not know how to operate a camera phone,” then you are underestimating your cat, good sirs and madams. Cats are not stupid, they just require a different prompt to turn them into narcissists. And that’s why Snapcat’s creators thought outside the (litter) box. The developers who created Snapcat at a Berlin photo hack day came up with a way to entice even the most persnickety pet to pose – a small icon careening around the camera screen. Cats (and, probably, dogs) can’t resist swiping at it, which sets off the photo sensor. There are four icons you can choose from: A mouse, a cat head, a ball of yarn, and a weird little chicken.

Now, Snapcat is a little different than Snapchat because those photos don’t disappear. Once your cat takes its glamour shot it gets shared with the world. So no, this is not a Snapchat for cats exactly, but that play on words is so good we’re excusing the misnomer.

Right now, Snapcat is only available for Android, but if you have an iPhone and you must see the kitty ridiculousness, you can browse it on your desktop if you sign up for EyeEm (the app company where the developers behind Snapcat work).

From the looks of the Snapcat gallery, many preening kittens are getting their social media groove on, but a lot of people aren’t really clear on the whole this-app-is-for-animals thing and are just taking pictures of themselves. And a few renegades let their dogs have a whirl, which resulted in some impressively blurry photos. And one guy just drew cat whiskers, which I respect.